A degree will get your foot in the door. Your soft skills will open it.

Category: Disasters

Puerto Ricans and U.S. Virgin Islanders are American Citizens Many years ago when I was a twenty-something, in a discussion with a Puerto Rican coworker I learned that residents of Puerto Rico are American citizens. Surely this fact was included in my education, but it obviously did not take hold. As I was politically active and thought … Continue reading Reaching Out to Fellow Americans In Their Hour of Need

Because conveying the Three E's -- Etiquette, Ethics and Empathy in the Workplace, and in life -- is the theme of my blog, I believe that addressing them in connection with Prom is important. Therefore, I am devoting this entry to the subject. And, yes, I realize that students ready to embark on their Junior or Senior Prom might consider the word, "deadly" in the title to be a real buzz kill with regard to the occasion.

There is irony in the cultural lore of handshaking having originated in Europe during the Middle Ages as a lifesaving measure to demonstrate that neither person was carrying a weapon in his hand or up his sleeve, and today's declarations from medical experts that handshaking could possibly be a life-threatening gesture because it can transmit deadly viruses and bacteria.

A good upbringing means not that you won't spill sauce on the tablecloth,but that you won't notice it when someone else does.~ Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904), Russian author, playwright

Yes, there’s even etiquette and protocol with regard to the tablecloth! According to Suzanne von Drachenfels in her book, The Art of the Table, “the tablecloth was the first decorative accessory known to the table…”

Whether dining out, as a guest in someone’s home or when selecting a tablecloth for use in your own home, it’s helpful to know some tips about tablecloths.

Hurricane Sandy taught us, once again, that we Earth beings of all species have little defense against the forces of nature when they turn against us. All along the Eastern Seaboard, Hurricane / Cyclone / Storm Sandy wreaked horrific destruction and death the weekend before Halloween. This followed a tsunami in the Pacific and an earthquake in Los Angeles.

But, Superstorm Sandy left the most damage in her wake. Some lost their loved ones and many more suffered damage to their homes and possessions or lost them altogether, and thousands more lost power and many are still coping with, extended outages. And, now to add to the agony are long gas lines and a temporary gas shortage due to a delay in ships being allowed to enter New York Harbor.